The present invention relates to two-stroke axial motors or engines and in particular to two-stroke motors or engines which incorporate turbochargers. The terms xe2x80x9cmotorxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cstrokexe2x80x9d are used interchangeable with xe2x80x9cenginexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccyclexe2x80x9d.
Over the years engine manufacturers have been working to improve the weight, size efficiency and manufacturing costs of engines. In part this has lead to the development of axial motors. An axial motor includes an engine block in which the cylinders are spaced evenly in a circular configuration about an axis of the engine block, rather than in the inline, xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d or horizontally opposed configurations of traditional engines. The reciprocal motion of the pistons in an axial motor can be transferred to rotational motion of an output shaft by way of a wobble plate configuration, such as that disclosed in NZ 221336.
Axial two-stroke motors or engines have been developed in various configurations to maximise the efficiency of air transfer to the combustion chamber. One technique employed has been to introduce a turbocharger. Some existing axial motors have turbochargers but they have been located externally to the cylinder block, with attendant construction and operational problems so that the full advantage of having a turbocharger associated with an axial motor has not yet been realised. One advantage provided by most axial motors is the compact design, however with external componentry such as an externally positioned turbocharger, this advantage is lost or minimised.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an axial two-stroke motor which has a more conveniently located turbocharger, or to overcome at least some of the difficulties associated with axial motors as stated above.
Accordingly the invention may be said to broadly consist in an axial two-stroke motor which includes an engine block with more than two cylinders spaced substantially evenly about an axis of the block. Each cylinder of the block has one or more exhaust ports.
Included within the block is a chamber which forms an exhaust duct and an intake duct. The motor also includes a turbocharger which has an exhaust turbine and compression turbine. The turbocharger is disposed substantially within the chamber such that the compression turbine is positioned substantially within the intake duct and the exhaust turbine is positioned substantially within the exhaust duct. The exhaust turbine is located such that exhaust from each exhaust port can drive the exhaust turbine.